In automotive applications, sometimes electrical terminals are soldered to a surface, for example, a windshield, by an automated soldering machine. Typically, the electrical terminals are supplied to the automated soldering machine by a vibratory feeder. The vibratory feeder has a bowl into which a large supply of the electrical terminals are dumped. The vibratory feeder then moves the electrical terminals from the bowl to the automated soldering machine by vibration.
In some applications, for example on windshields, small electrical terminals are desirable in order to provide maximum visibility as well as to provide a more pleasing appearance. However, some small electrical terminals, for example, those having a design with a base pad about 10 mm by 14 mm in size or smaller, and a blade connector extending therefrom, tend to lock together when dumped into the bowl of the vibratory feeder. Some of these electrical terminals can become so tenaciously locked together that even the vibrations from the vibratory feeder cannot separate the electrical terminals from each other. Such locking together of electrical terminals can cause jamming of the automated soldering machine when electrical terminals that are locked together are fed into the machine.